Only the Good Die Young
by DjDangerLove
Summary: A car crash is the beginning of a deadly game of cat and mouse. The prize: Brandt's life.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own these characters.**

"Masks! We finally get to use masks and Ethan is the one that gets to wear one! I mean I made the blasted thing, so why can't I be the one who gets to wear it?" Agent Benji Dunn ranted from the driver's seat of an unmarked van used by the IMF team made up of Dunn himself, Ethan Hunt, Jane Carter and the man sitting beside him in the passenger seat, William Brandt.

"I could have easily taken the job of getting the files from our target!" Benji exclaimed, looking away from the road to look at Brandt. Their van started to drift to the right towards the guardrail, the only thing separating them from a steep hill.

"Uh...ah, Benji?" Brandt questioned as he sat up a little bit straighter in his seat and gripped the handle on the door till his knuckles turned white. The driver looked back to the road and steered the car back into the lane. Brandt let out a long breath as he relaxed back into the seat before he shot Benji an angry look.

Benji was completely oblivious though, caught up in his disappointment of not being able to wear a mask on this mission. However, this mission was a simple one. Ethan, disguised in a mask, had one file to retrieve in a low security hotel room and only used Carter for back-up. Benji and Brandt took on the role of "look out" by driving around the block while the other two team members completed the fairly easy assignment.

"It's like there's a conspiracy going on! Let's never let Benji wear a mask!" The agent once again looked over at Brandt, and completely missed a stop sign. Luckily, the street was deserted and no one was coming.

"Oh my God." Brandt mumbled under his breath as he closed his eyes and reveled in the fact that he was still alive.

"Would you relax? You act like you're in a life or death situation!"

"Well with you behind the wheel, it is a good possibility I am!" Brandt shot back.

"I'm a good driver." Benji stated as if Brandt's suggestion was illogical.

"So almost taking out a guardrail and running a stop sign is considered good driving?"

"I didn't take out a guardrail! We weren't even close to grazing it. As for the stop sign...I'll admit I missed it...but I mean no one was coming and it was a one time occurrence."

Brandt gave him a disbelieving look.

"What?"

He just shook his head. "Will you please just keep your eyes on the road?"

Benji rolled his eyes, but did as he was asked.

They were now on their seventeenth trip around the hotel when Ethan came over the radio telling them to meet them at the front of the hotel in five minutes. Brandt reported back, confirming the order. They drove around once more, Benji's eyes had yet to leave the road as he softly sung along to the radio and drove, while Brandt looked out the window characteristically quiet.

Benji made a right turn then nonchalantly drove through a green light. Unfortunately, someone else drove through the intersection but from the opposite direction. The front of the vehicle made contact with the passenger side of the van and sent it spinning out of control, then end over end in two complete cycles, before coming to a stop on its roof.

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><p>Benji groaned as the pain in the side of his head pounded with such force it made his stomach churn. He blinked sluggishly, then focused his gaze on his surroundings. In seconds he remembered the wreck as he saw shattered glass, smoke, an upside down view of the street they were on and blood. He knew some of it was his, but certainly not all of it. That's when he remembered Brandt in the passenger seat.<p>

"Brandt?" He called out, before he turned his head as fast as he could without making his head spin. The concussion he knew he had was doing that enough. He didn't get an answer and panic started to rise in his chest. He saw his friend still buckled in the passenger seat, but couldn't see his face. "Dammit, Brandt! Answer me!"

Finally, like the miracle he was silently praying for, Brandt shifted in his seat, but bit back a scream. Instead, he settled on a muffled groan and slowly turned his head to look at Benji.

"Thank God, Will! I thought you were dead." Benji laughed with relief as he tried to figure out a way the best way to get out of the upside down van.

"I-if you don't get me out of here...I will be." Brandt replied breathlessly. Benji's head turned a little to fast at the sound of Brandt's voice and he had to close his eyes for a few seconds to make the world stop spinning.

He was about to ask Brandt to elaborate, but one look at the man's pale face told Benji that he just needed to get his friend out of the van.

"Okay...alright, not a problem man. Just uh, just give me a second." Benji replied while he carefully undid his seatbelt and eased himself down from the seat. With some effort he managed to open his door and climb out. He looked around to see the car that had hit them sitting in the middle of the street, but there was no driver. He noticed there was no one standing around on the street except Jane who was running after a man in the opposite direction while Ethan was running towards him, without his mask.

He didn't wait for Ethan to reach him though. He wobbly ran around the van to the passenger side and knelt down beside the window to see Brandt breathing heavily, his eyes shut tightly in pain. His right arm was dangling limply above his head while his left arm was wrapped around his stomach.

"Will?" Benji finally voiced his name shakily and got a groan in response. Before he could say anything else, Ethan suddenly knelt down beside him.

"Benji! There's a gas leak!" Ethan shouted as he looked through the window, which was completely busted, then back at Benji. "How bad is he?"

"I...I..." Benji stuttered for a moment, his concussion, fear and panic making his words get caught in his throat.

"Benji!"

"I-I don't know... h-his arm looks broken and I think there's something wrong with his stomach."

Ethan nodded, and bent back down.

"Brandt. I need you listen to me, ok? Just listen. Benji and I are going to get you out of here. I need you to be as still and as limp as possible ok? Just let us get you out."

The agent nodded in understanding, before Ethan told Benji to go back around to the other side and undo Brandt's seat belt. Benji did and they eased their teammate down to the top of the van, resulting in a muffled cry of pain from Brandt.

Benji cringed at the sound, while backing out of the van and then stumbling back to Ethan. He could only helplessly watch as Ethan reached in and placed his arms under Brandt's and pulled him out.

This time Brandt did scream as his broken right arm was jarred and his stomach was straightened out. Benji cringed even more as Ethan dragged the agent to the other side of the street while Brandt screamed through gritted teeth and begged for him to stop. Ethan collapsed when he felt that he was far enough away from the van. He was sitting down, Brandt's back leaning against his chest and Benji kneeling beside the two of them, his hands hovering over Will's stomach unsure of what to do.

Before Ethan could ask what was wrong, the van exploded with a loud bang. Both Ethan and Benji hovering over Brandt to protect him from flying debris. Luckily they were a safe distance away and the three of them watched the van burn with odd fascination until Jane appeared next to them.

"Are you guys alright?"

"J-just peachy." Brandt mumbled as he tried to shift in Ethan's grasp, but stopped when he felt a sharp pain in his stomach.

"Ahh...Don't move." Benji stated and hesitantly added, "You've got a piece of glass sticking out of your stomach." He offered a small sympathetic grin when Brandt paled even more and glared at him.

"We have to get him to a hospital." Jane said, reaching for her phone and dialing 911.

"Don't let Benji drive." Brandt replied, on the verge of passing out, but his light-heartedness could still be detected.

Benji scoffed. "This was not my fault! That car hit us. Our light was green!"

"Yeahhhh," Brandt slurred and drug out, "like the... color of my face when you ran that s-stop sign."

Jane had hung up the phone after confirming their location to the EMTs and shared a look with Ethan before breaking up their banter.

"Speaking of the guy who hit you, he's in the wind. I couldn't catch him."

"Try to find something in his car before the paramedics get here." Ethan said as he adjusted his grip on Brandt who had lost his battle with consciousness.

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><p>Ethan watched the ambulance that was transporting Brandt and a nervous Benji to the hospital drive off before turning to Jane.<p>

"Did you find anything?"

"Yeah." She replied with a grim look on her face. "We've got a big problem."

"What is it?"

She took a deep breath and swallowed audibly while handing him a busted cell phone. She watched his jaw clench and his knuckles turn white from the death grip he had the phone in. He was breathing heavy when he turned to look at her with hard eyes.

"Call Benji."

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><p>"H-hello?" Benji's voice came over the phone as distracted and Jane soon found out why when she heard Brandt's voice in the back ground singing Billy Joel's song New York State of Mind. "Brandt. Brandt! Inside voice, man. Inside voice. We talked about this, remember?"<p>

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, though Benji couldn't see her. "Benji!"

"Dear God, Jane! Not so loud please! Between you and the Billy Joel cover band concert, the mild concussion I have will soon be turned into a hemorrhage!"

"Benji! How's Brandt?"

"Um...he's high as a kite right now. I feel cheated. They clearly gave him more pain medication than me. Apparently a broken arm and a small puncture would deserves more drugs than a mild concussion."

"Benji listen to me. There's a hit out on Brandt."

"A hit? What? Are you joking?" Benji rambled in disbelief with a soft laugh.

"No, Benji. This is serious!"

"No, no. No! Jane, there can't be a hit out on Will. He's...he's...Brandt! A guy who, who, who is guilt ridden if he doesn't hold the door for the person behind him when he comes out of the gas station, for crying out loud! Who on Earth has a hit out on him?"

"IMF."

Silence greeted Jane for so long that she would have thought that agent Dunn had hung up if she hadn't been able to hear Brandt's singing in the background.

"IMF. IMF? I thought you said IMF. This concussion must really be getting the best of me."

"No, Benji. It is the IMF. The man that hit you guys is an agent! We found evidence of the hit on a cell phone that he must of lost in the crash. Listen, we're almost to the hospital. Just stay with Billy Joel until we get there, okay?"

"Ahh...sure!" Benji replied, still trying to process the situation through his concussed brain. "I would say with pleasure, but I'm not really fan of Billy Joel...or Brandt when he's doped up on pain medication."

Jane knew it was just Benji's way of remaining calm, so she just assured him they would be there soon and hung up.

"Whoooo was that, Benji?" Brandt smiled up at him with a dopey grin.

"Uh, that was Jane." He replied as he looked outside the hospital room for anything suspicious. Seeing nothing, he walked back in and sat down next to his friend.

"What did...she have to say?" William blinked owlishly.

"Umm, she uh...she said that um...that when she got here she wanted you to sing We Didn't Start the Fire."

"Ohh. Well, I better get in Only the Good Die Young before she gets here."

Benji grimaced at the irony unbeknownst to Brandt but tried to cover it with a smile. "Sing it quietly." He said as if talking to a child and patting the agent's leg. He wasn't surprised when Brandt began to belt out the tune. He could only sit and sing along as he waited for Ethan and Jane to arrive.

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><p><strong>This was eventually going to be a one-shot, but I decided to add more to the end and I ended up making it a multi-chapter story. If you're interested in reading more let me know! Thanks for reading!<strong>

**P.S. The Billy Joel choice was based on Jeremy Renner singing New York State of Mind on Jimmy Fallon a long time ago, but you can see it on youtube. He is an amazing singer! :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you to anyone who is reading this story, reviewed the first chapter and added this story to an alert or favorite list! It means so much! Hope you enjoy this chapter.**

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><p>Three days later<p>

Brandt slowly opened his eyes to find himself laying on the couch.

'_Nothing has changed.' _He thought, glancing around the silent and still apartment. He craned his neck around the arm of the couch to look down the hall, while straining his ears to check for any signs of being in the company of his team. He heard nothing except the hum of their dinky refrigerator that barely kept the water cold. He felt the dull ache in his broken right forearm and the annoying itch under his cast. He tried to scratch it with a finger, but his cast started at the bottom of his bicep and went to his hand, circling around his thumb preventing him from reaching it. He shifted his position, testing out the soreness of his muscles around the twenty-one stitches in his right lower abdomen. He couldn't help but wince at the pulling of his skin, but overall he could deal with the pain. Slowly, and while holding his breath, he sat up. Once in an upright position, he closed his eyes, leaned back against the couch and took a few deep breaths. After the passing of a few minutes, he reopened his eyes and took in the condition of the apartment for what might have as well been the first time, considering the only other time he had had his eyes open the past three days was to go to the bathroom, which he was too groggy and sore to pay much mind to his surroundings.

It was a run down apartment to say the least. There was no doubt a few bugs occupying the space with them, but fortunately didn't appear to be so run down that rats found it to be livable. A few stains here and there covered the walls and what little possessions and clothes the team had scattered the floor, but there were bags piled in the corner ready to go in a hurry.

Brandt swallowed and the dryness of his mouth made itself known. He looked around the two room apartment once more, scanning for any presence of human life that would scold him from removing his body from the couch without assistance. Not seeing any of the three that posed such a threat, he wearily stood from the couch. His back popped in three places, instantly making him feel human again instead of a couch pillow. He spotted his sling on the small coffee table in front of him. He debated on putting it on, not really wanting the thing, but the ache in his arm was slowly creeping into his shoulder and he did feel a bit unnerved at the thought of Ethan, Jane or Benji finding him not only off the couch, but without his sling.

After his arm was in the sling, he paced himself to the other side of the room where the kitchen was located. He grabbed a glass next to the sink and filled it with tap water from the sink. Drinking down the first glass in two gulps, he refilled it and began to take smaller, slower sips. Brandt turned around and leaned against the counter with his eyes closed. He was enjoying standing, being off the couch, awake and alone, when a voice ruined all of it.

"What the hell are you doing?"

Will jerked in surprise, jarring his shoulder and pulling at his stitches. His eyes opened just as his fingers let go of the glass he was holding, sending it to the floor with a shattering end. Water and glass shot out across the floor, while Brandt stared at Benji with wide eyes and a dropped jaw.

He stammered, trying to get his explanation out before Benji unleashed a wrath of words on him, while slowing attempting to squat down to pick up the glass.

"Woah, woah, woah! Stop, man. Stop!" Benji replied, running from across the room, skillfully avoiding stepping on glass and grabbing Brandt's uninjured shoulder to prevent him from moving any further. Will looked at him and nodded, before straightening back up with a wince. Benji continued to stand in front of him with a disbelieving look.

"What in the world are you doing?"

"Drinking water." Brandt replied. He looked down at the floor, then back up at his friend. "Was drinking water."

Benji scoffed. "Yeah, I can see that. But you shouldn't have been."

Brandt rolled his eyes, wearily leaning back against the counter. "You're right. I should've been drinking something stronger."

"Ah, ah, ah. Alcohol and pain killers don't mix, my friend. But that wasn't what I meant."

Brandt's eyes narrowed at Benji, while he set his jaw. "I know they don't mix, but perhaps that was the point."

"A bit grumpy this afternoon, aren't we?" Benji countered, with a grin that expressed too much amusement for Brandt's liking. He got the memo. "Right, well, let's get you back to the couch and um, I'll clean this up before Ethan and Jane get back."

"No. I'm not sitting on that couch another minute." Brandt protested.

"Come on, Brandt. Don't-"

"No. I mean it Benji. I have to do something, even if it is walking in circles. I can't lay on that couch anymore." He rubbed his hand down his face and yawned, before pushing himself away from the counter and walking past the other agent, towards the door.

"What are you doing?"

Brandt stopped with his hand on the door. "I'm going outside to get some fresh air."

"Oh!" Benji exclaimed, running over to Brandt once more. "No, no, no. You can't do that."

Brandt looked at him with a floored look. "Relax, Benji. I'm just going to stand outside the door, not run around the block."

"Uhhh, no. No, you're not." Benji replied. "You can't."

"I can't?" The other man, rhetorically asked, his voice rising a notch with frustration and anger.

"No."

Brandt laughed, took a step as if complying, but when Benji stepped back as well he made for the door only to be stopped by Benji leaning his back against the door and shutting it closed again. Brandt started at the agent with a confused look, which quickly turned to anger.

"Move."

"No."

"Benji, if you don't move, I swear I'm going to kick your ass."

"And just how do you plan to do that without tearing your stitches and with a broken arm?"

"Do you really want to find out?"

"Ok, ok. Brandt just sit down," Brandt narrowed his eyes at him and he quickly recovered, "or stand, whatever it is you want to do, but uh, you gotta do it inside."

"Why?" Will decided to use a different tactic.

"Um, well... Ethan said to keep you in here. Orders are orders." It wasn't technically a lie. He swallowed thickly while Brandt stared him down.

"There's more to it than that. Why doesn't Ethan want you to let me go outside?"

"I don't know."

"Yes, you do."

"Do not."

"Yes. You do."

"I don't, Will. Honest."

"Tell me."

"I can't! Because I don't know what to tell you! I don't know."

"Benji." Brandt warned.

"Brandt, I don't know!" Benji yelled, letting his frustration show.

"Where'd they go anyway?" Will asked, mischievously changing the subject.

"They went to track down on a lead on the hit that is out on you!" Benji blurted out, before thinking about it. Once the words, were out of his mouth he sucked in a deep breath in shock. "Damn. I wasn't supposed to tell you that."

"There's a hit on me?" Brandt questioned.

"Ahhh..." Benji drug out unsure of what to say. Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, the door opened.

* * *

><p>"I wonder if Brandt's woken up yet?" Jane questioned, as she followed Ethan up the stairs to their apartment.<p>

"If he has I fear for Benji." Ethan replied, digging the key out of his pocket. They both shared a laugh that seldom came in the last few days, while Ethan unlocked the door. He turned the knob, opened the door and hit something.

He saw Brandt standing wearily just inside the apartment, looking at something behind the door and peaked around it to see that he had hit Benji.

"Oh, sorry." He apologized walking into the apartment, followed by Jane.

"Hey, Brandt. How are you?" She asked.

The four of them were standing in a square, Brandt closest to the door, all glancing around at each other in an awkward silence.

"What's going on?" Ethan finally asked.

"Why didn't you tell me there is a hit on me?"

Both Jane and Ethan turned to look at Benji with narrowed eyes. The latter held up his hands in surrender.

"You've been out of it for a few days. There was no point in telling you." Ethan answered.

"How long have you known?" Brandt asked.

No one made to answer.

"How long?" He asked again.

"Right after the car crash. We found evidence in the car." It was Jane who answered this time, taking a step towards Brandt who took a step back from her.

"We wanted to tell you, honest mate, but what good would it have done, huh? You needed the rest and we found this secure, run down shack that we could lie low in for awhile and allow you to, you know, rest, heal, whatever."

Brandt's mind was running a million miles a minute. He was finding it hard to take all of this in and the fact that his legs were beginning to feel shaky from exhaustion wasn't helping.

"Do you know anything about the person who ordered it?"

"Not really." Benji answered quickly.

"Not really. And what exactly does that mean?" Brandt questioned.

Ethan shot a look at Benji before turning back to Brandt. "It means that the only thing we know about the person who ordered the hit is an IMF agent."

Brandt laughed once. Then twice. Then erupted in laughter.

"Oh, boy. You've done it now." Benji murmured. "You've finally made him crack."

Ethan and Jane rolled their eyes.

"Brandt?" Jane questioned.

Will stopped laughing and gingerly held his stomach as the laughter worsened his pain.

"You're kidding right? I mean, not only is someone trying to kill me but it is someone from the agency? That's...that's rich. Good one."

"Brandt," Jane replied hesitantly. "we aren't joking. This is serious."

The agent looked at the three of them, taking notice to their grim expressions.

"I don't...I don't know..." Brandt struggled with his words while trying to wrap his head around their situation, his situation.

"We're going to figure this out, Will." Jane encouraged. "But for now, why don't you just sit down for a minute."

"No. I don't want to sit down or lay down or sleep anymore!"

"Brandt, you need to rest." Ethan tried.

"No!" Will once again protested but this time he reached for the door handle, threw the door opened and stormed out. "I'm getting some fresh air." He called over his shoulder as he walked towards the stairs that lead to the street.

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><p>Brandt was walking down the sidewalk, trying to clear his head. He thought he was being cautious and observant, but when an arm wrapped from under his armpit and around his uninjured shoulder and a hand covered his mouth, he knew he had messed up.<p>

He was pulled into an alley with nowhere to go, trying to fight off whoever had him, but his efforts were seised by a familiar voice whispering in his ear.

"Shh. It's Ethan. Don't move." He followed Ethan's orders, but the agent didn't let go of him. "In a few seconds, a man is going to come around the corner. Just follow my lead. Remember we need him alive for answers."

Brandt nodded, expecting Ethan to let go of him, but wasn't expecting for the agent to keep his hold on him and push him out into the deserted street into the very man they were trying to avoid.

"I believe you're looking for him." Ethan said, adjusting his grip on Will as he eyed the disguised man. Brandt felt something cold being pressed into his left hand that was behind his back since the other one was in a cast and sling, turning it carefully in his fingers he figured out it was knife.

The corner of the man's mouth turned up in a smirk. Agent Hunt looked him over and watched his movements in attempt to time his move perfectly. He saw the man's finger twitch while he rocked back slightly on his heels.

In a split second, he pulled Brandt back away from the man as he lunged forward. However, the other man was quick and braced himself for Ethan's impact, instantly grabbing the agent around the neck. It was a smart move, but Ethan had counted on it happening, so he slacked in the man's grip, and waited for Brandt to use the knife.

A split second later, the man let out a scream and loosened his grip. Ethan escaped his hold, grabbed Brandt by the arm and took off running.

Ethan kept one hand on Brandt's arm as they ran through the streets. He pulled out his cell phone with the other and called Jane.

"Carter, we have to move now! Meet at the van! We're seven minutes out." He didn't wait for a reply, before hanging up and taking a sharp right turn, dragging Brandt with him.

* * *

><p>They both climbed into the back of the van, Jane closing the door behind them as they sprawled out on the floor of the emptied out vehicle. Benji was in the driver's seat and wasted no time in flooring the gas and driving off.<p>

Both agents were breathing heavily, as Jane just watched them with a worried expression. "What happened?"

"What do you think?" Ethan countered, sitting up and looking over at Brandt. "Are you alright?"

Brandt nodded and eased himself up, covering his stomach with his hand. He slowly brought back his hand when he felt something warm and wet. The sight of crimson red on his hand, made him groan in annoyance.

"I see you pulled your stitches." Jane said, grabbing the first aid kit. "Lay down."

Brandt groaned again, but complied nonetheless. He turned his attention to Ethan, while Jane went to work on restitching his stomach.

"Why did we run?" He questioned, confused. "I knew we needed him alive, but we could've taken him."

"No. He easily had two guns on him, if not more. We would have both been dead in seconds. Plus, you are in condition to fight, obviously." Ethan replied, indicating Will's reopened wound.

Brandt couldn't argue with any of his reasoning, but he still didn't like it. However, he soon realized that all of it was his fault, seeing as how if he hadn't stormed off out of the apartment in the first place none of it would have happened.

"That's not true." Ethan said, causing both Brandt and Jane to look at him questioningly. "I know you're thinking that this is your fault, and while it does appear that way and partially is because you didn't follow orders to stay in the apartment, you probably saved your own life if not all of ours."

"How do figure that?" Jane asked.

"Whoever it is knew where we were, at least in a general sense. Probably would have found us eventually, maybe even off guard."

Both agents nodded, Jane went back to stitching and Brandt closed his eyes.

"Next time I want to get fresh air you have my permission to stop me at any cost."

For only the second time in four days, laughter came easy to all four agents at Brandt's statement.

"Did you say any?" Benji called from the driver's seat.

Will was silent a moment, before answering, "I was only talking to Jane. She wouldn't do anything to horrible."

"Are you sure about that?" She questioned, teasingly.

"On second thought, I take that back. Just...don't let anyone try to kill me for at least a couple of hours." Brandt wearily replied, his eyes slipping closed in exhaustion.

"Done."

Brandt smiled at the simultaneous response of the rest of his team before letting sleep claim him once more.

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><p><strong>I was going to end this chapter with another cliff hanger, but I decided to be nice and end it on Brandt being safe (for now). haha. Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think in a review! :)<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again for reading, reviewing and adding this story to your alert and favorite lists! **

Ethan watched Brandt slack in the man's grip, his body sagging to the ground in unmistakable defeat. His heart pounded inside his chest, adrenaline coursed through his veins, his mind screaming at him to do something, anything. He couldn't.

He played out every scenario in his head,'_Brandt would be proud'_, but they all ended in an outcome he would not cause, that he could not face. But as he watched the man drag Brandt away from him with one arm around his friend's neck, the other holding a gun at his temple, standing there was the last thing he could do. He took two steps forward before Brandt's glassy eyes met his and he watched Will shake his head desperately telling him not to follow them, not to save him.

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><p>24 Hours Earlier...<p>

"Brandt if you pull your stitches again, I'm just going to let you bleed out." Jane called from the small wooden table she sat at with Ethan in the kitchen of their hideout while they watched Benji try out some new gadget that he had somehow convinced Brandt to be a guinea pig for.

"I think.." Brandt started to reply, then stopped as he ducked out of the way of a pinball flying towards his face. "that's the least of my worries right now, Jane."

"Damn, I can't seem to get the trajectory on this." Benji said, fidgeting with the device he had randomly found in a bag of gadgets.

"Which probably means you should stop playing with it." Ethan countered as he took a sip of beer.

"Agreed." Brandt said, walking away from the wall that was now covered in small little dents and an occasional hole. "I don't know how I got roped into being a test dummy, especially with my arm in a sling, but I quit before I get an eye taken out."

"Oh, come on! You know I would get you one of those glass eyeballs, like the guy from the Pirates of the Caribbean movies!" Benji replied and discarded the device as he follow Brandt to the kitchen table and sat down.

"Lovely." Brandt shot back sarcastically.

The team sat around the table making small talk, reveling in what little normalcy they could conjure up until Ethan's phone rang and he excused himself from the table. The remaining three members carried on their conversation, while Ethan stepped outside.

"Please tell me you've got something for me."

"I do, Ethan, but that doesn't mean you're going to like it." Luther replied.

"That seems to be the cycle. Just tell me."

"I was able to get some info from the phone you found in the car. I traced it back to a guy by the name of Leonard Amador. He's working out of a shop on the harbor."

"Give me the-"

"The coordinates, yeah. I've sent them to you, but listen man. This guy is just the one who sent out the message, not who ordered it."

"Yeah, Luther. I need him alive to get the actual guy who sanctioned the hit." Ethan chuckled at his friend for treating him like a 'wet behind the ears' agent.

"Ethan." Luther said, his tone anything but light.

"What?"

"Have you...given any thought to the idea that..."

"That what Luther? Spit it out."

"That maybe the hit on Brandt is just a distraction?"

Ethan snorted and shook his head, thinking the idea illogical. However, the more he thought about it, he was beginning to doubt his first reaction.

"A distraction for what?"

"Look man, I don't know, but I know I'm not the only one that finds it hard to believe someone wants that kid dead. Unless Mr. Rogers is hiding some dark secrets, I'd almost be willing to bet there's a bigger angle than the kid's death."

"Mr. Rogers hid tattoos under his sweaters." Ethan replied, gaining a laugh from Luther on the other end of the line.

"Well, if you find any let me know."

"Yeah. Thanks, Luther. I'll be in touch."

Ethan walked back into the kitchen to find his team exactly the way he had left them except with a bit more laughter.

"I hope the laughter isn't at my expense." He stated, sitting back down.

"Oh, no worries mate. It is mine." Benji replied and tactfully changed the subject. "So who was that on the phone?"

Ethan took a sip of his beer before replying. "That was Luther."

"Oh, yeah? Did he find anything from the phone?" Jane asked.

"Yeah, traced it to a guy off the harbor."

"Great so when do we leave?" Benji asked, sitting forward in his chair. Ethan shook his head at the eager agent and eyed Brandt, who had yet to speak up. He found it odd.

"In the morning. Dawn sharp. Go ahead pack, then get some sleep. We'll prep in the van."

Benji and Jane removed themselves from the table and went into the next room to start packing. Brandt slowly stood from his chair, but went to the sink to get some water. Ethan took the opportunity.

"Do you have any tattoos Brandt?" He asked, still seated at the table as he twisted his bottle of beer with his fingertips around the neck of the bottle. The other agent turned from the sink, glass in hand, and leaned back against the counter to fix him with a confused expression.

"Come again?"

Ethan chuckled to himself, then shook his head. "Secrets, Brandt. I mean secrets."

"I- I don't follow." Will responded now completely perplexed. Ethan took another swig of his drink and took a deep breath.

"Is there any reason, ANY reason, that someone would want you dead?"

Brandt rubbed a hand down his face, before resting his knuckles against his mouth. He was silent for a moment, looking off into space in thought, then he turned his gaze back to Ethan.

"I've tried to think. I've went over every moment of my life that I can even vaguely remember, sure there are small things I've done to piss people off or whatever, but I can't think of one worthy of death."

Ethan chuckled softly, before rising from his chair and moving to lean against the counter beside Brandt. He could tell the agent was uneasy, but completely honest.

"What's going on Brandt?"

Will swallowed and ran his foot along a black scuff mark on the floor.

"Brandt."

"I lived for years with the guilt of Croatia. The feeling of being responsible for someone's death... it's worse than death itself. Even now, knowing that...that she's alive, sometimes I forget. I still think about what she went through when they killed her."

Ethan was silent a moment, waiting to see if Brandt would continue. When he didn't, Ethan chose to speak. "Brandt. We're trained agents. Hell, we stopped nuclear war. I think our team can manage this mission. Is there a chance that someone will get hurt? Yeah, there definitely is, but I know for a fact that the three of us are prepared and willing to take that chance."

Brandt looked at Ethan and lifted the corner of his mouth in an attempt at a smile.

"Get some rest Brandt." With that, Ethan left the agent standing there by the sink.

* * *

><p>"Alright. Jane you take the south entrance. Benji cover the west. I'll cover east. Brandt, stay in the van."<p>

"What?" Brandt asked, bewildered. "I'm not staying in the van."

"Yes, you are. And that's an order." Ethan replied, standing face to face with Brandt, so he would know there was no room for argument. Once Will nodded, Ethan got out of the van, followed by Jane who gave Brandt one last warning look, then Benji.

* * *

><p>Brandt sat in the van, his leg bouncing with nervous energy and apprehension. He could hear his team in his own transceiver placed in his ear, but it wasn't helping. Imagines of Benji, Ethan and Jane being wounded or killed flooded his mind. He shook his head to rid his fears, but to no avail. He rubbed his hand up and down his face a few times before a fourth unfamiliar voice filtered through his earpiece.<p>

"Well, well, well. It's my lucky day."

Brandt held his breath as he waited for a voice to answer back, the voice that belonged to the agent that was in danger.

"Oh yeah? And why is that?" Ethan's voice answered back.

"Because I know a guy who's looking for you and if I'm the one to bring you to him, well let's just say my compensation is very reasonable."

"Ethan?" Jane called over the radio, followed by Benji questioning what was happening. But he didn't answer.

Silence fell, twisted Brandt's stomach in knots and made his heart pound. After a few more seconds he heard Ethan's voice again.

"Well I would hate to be the one to keep you from your payment."

The man laughed, and Brandt could here footsteps fill the silence that had fell again. This time Brandt didn't wait to hear what would happen next. Instead, he did the one thing he wasn't supposed to do. He left the van.

* * *

><p>Ethan watched the armed man walk towards him, his intentions clear. Knowing that if he reached for his gun behind his waist, the man would either rush him or shoot him, he lifted his hands in the air in surrender and waited for the man to come near him. The gunsel reached up to grab his wrist and Ethan made his move. His elbow connected harshly with the man's ribs, but his attacker didn't falter. Instead, an arm encircled his neck cutting off his air supply. He tried to remain calm, but the lack of oxygen only made his desperation increase. He began kicking his legs in a desperate attempt, but to no avail. He began to see black on the borders of his vision, and in one last attempt he kicked as hard he could. His foot made contact with the man's knee sending it into an awkward angle.<p>

He was released from the man's grasp, as the man fell to the ground. He quickly kicked the gun from his attacker's hand and reached for his own. Ethan aimed his gun on the man.

"Who's your boss?"

The man rolled back and forth holding his knee while groaning in pain.

"Answer my question or I'll put a bullet in your other one."

"Go...to hell." The man grounded out. Ethan fired a shot just beside the man to startle him. It worked.

"Ok. Ok. Ok! His name is-"

"Ethan get down!" Ethan heard Jane shout. It took a second to process the message, but he managed to turn around, taking his eyes off the injured gunsel on the floor and see another man running towards him with a gun aimed on him. He managed to move just as the man pulled the trigger, but the bullet grazed his arm. Another shot rang out and when the second gunsel fell he realized it had been Jane who had fired.

"Are you alright?" Jane asked, now standing in front of Ethan who held a hand to his bicep.

"Yeah, it just graz-" But his response was cut off by another gun shot.

* * *

><p>Brandt ran as fast as he could, ignoring the pain in his shoulder and the pulling sensation on his stomach. He entered the building, gun drawn. He could still hear the team in his transceiver, but he could hear the gunshots ring out in the building. He followed the deafening sound, until he could see Ethan and Jane standing at the end of a hallway. He let out a relieved breath, but it was short lived. He saw the figure that was sprawled out behind his two teammates move, unbeknownst to ethan and Jane. He squinted his eyes to try and see what the man was doing, but when he saw a glint of silver he wasted no time in lifting his own weapon and firing.<p>

Ethan and Jane jumped at the sound of another gunshot, looking frantically around for another gunsel. However, Jane spotted Brandt down the hall and Ethan turned his attention to the first gunsel, who was now dead.

"Brandt! What are you doing?" Jane called, making Ethan turn around as well. They watched Brandt wearily walk towards them, until they were standing in front of each other.

"That's a hell of a good question! I told you not to leave the van!" Ethan stated.

"Yeah, and if I had you two would probably be dead!" Brandt countered, motioning towards the man he had just killed.

"What's with all the gunshots? Are you guys ok? Brandt? What are you doing out of the van?" Benji's voice broke into their conversation as the tech entered the room and holstered his weapon.

"One question at a time Benji." Brandt replied.

"Let's start with why you're out of the van." Jane countered, crossing her arms.

"Guys, we deal with that later. Right now we've got bigger issues." Ethan interjected, trying to get his team back on task.

"No, I think I would like to know why Mr. Brandt left the van." A new voice replied, from behind Benji.

Ethan, Jane and Brandt immediately aimed their gun on the man. However, the new gunsel cocked his own gun and aimed at Benji's head.

"Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn't advise that. Unless of course you're willing to sacrifice your agent."

The three of them didn't move, not wanting to drop their weapons but not wanting to get Benji killed.

The man pressed the gun harder into Benji's temple. "I would drop your weapons if I were you."

Slowly, and regretfully, each agent dropped their weapon and kicked it away when the man motioned for them to do so. They all watched with nervous tension as the man slowly walked towards them, gun still trained at Benji's temple. A new gunsel appeared beside them.

"I'll make you deal, Agent Hunt." The man holding Benji hostage said. "I'll let this one go, if agent Brandt takes his place."

"That doesn't really sound like a deal." Ethan replied.

The man smiled. "Very well then. Brian, take Agent Dunn and take your time with him."

Brian moved to take Benji, but stopped short when Brandt spoke up.

"Wait! I'll go. I'll take his place. Just let him go. Let them all go."

Both Ethan and Jane turned furious looks towards Brandt.

"Ah, that's a wise decision Mr. Brandt. Brian, change of plans. Show Agents Hunt, Carter and Dunn the way out."

The man took Benji's gun before letting him go. "Oh, if any of you decide to make trouble for Brian, know that your efforts will result in horrifying consequences for Agent Brandt."

She gave him a look to kill, before Brian shoved her down the hallway followed by Benji and Ethan. Brian walked behind them, Jane and Ethan walking side by side, Benji walking in front of them. Jane caught Ethan's eye and silently relayed a message, knowing their interpretation of 'the way out' was different than the gunsel's. He swallowed before nodding his head one time. They locked eyes again a few seconds later, then without warning Benji of their plan, Ethan turned around and elbowed Brian in the face, the sickening crack of his nose brought a smile to the agent's face. Jane grabbed his gun from his loose grip, tossed it to a startled Benji and grabbed the man around the neck and covered his mouth with her hand.

"Make a sound and I'll break your neck."

Benji stood in shock, taken back by the sudden assault Jane and Ethan just pulled off. Ethan asked Jane if she had Brian under control. When he received a nod from her he said, "Secure this guy. I'm going after Brandt."

* * *

><p>Ethan ran as fast as he could back towards the last place he saw Brandt. He heard a sickening scream that only made him run faster. He entered the room to find it empty except for the two dead gunsels and a small blood trail going to the back of the building.<p>

He picked up one of the discarded guns and followed the trail. He was quietly following, when he heard a muffled scream. He picked up his pace and followed the blood out into a hallway. The sight at the end of the hallway that greeted him, made his heart drop and his blood boil.

The man was practically dragging Brandt down the hallway, his arm wrapped around Brandt's neck, making the agent have to walk hunched over. The agent wasn't going willingly, though. He was fighting with all the energy he could muster, but it wasn't enough. Unfortunately, the man was tired of it and drove his free fist that held the gun into Brandt's stomach, making the agent crumbled to the floor.

Ethan raised his gun, aimed at the gunsel and pulled the trigger. But nothing happened. He pulled it again. Time after time, nothing happened. The chamber was empty.

"Are you done fighting me, kid? You try something again, I'll cut off a finger." The man threatened as he squatted down with Brandt to keep his arm firmly around the agent's neck. Brandt nodded weakly in understanding, conciseness threatening to leave him. The man stood dragging him up with him, but he couldn't stand on his legs properly. The man however didn't seem to care and all but dragged him by the neck.

Brandt looked up and saw Ethan standing at the end of the hall. If he was really standing there or it was just Brandt's mind playing out delirium he wasn't sure. But which ever Ethan was standing there, he didn't want him to be killed. He saw him start to run towards him. He locked eyes with him, making sure he could relay his message and shook his head. When Ethan stopped mid stride, he knew his friend understood.

_Don't._

* * *

><p>Ethan watched Brandt slack in the man's grip, his body sagging to the ground in unmistakable defeat. His heart pounded inside his chest, adrenaline coursed through his veins, his mind screaming at him to do something, anything. He couldn't.<p>

He played out every scenario in his head,'_Brandt would be proud'_, but they all ended in an outcome he would not cause, that he could not face. But as he watched the man drag Brandt away from him with one arm around his friend's neck, the other holding a gun at his temple, standing there was the last thing he could do. He took two steps forward before Brandt's glassy eyes met his and he watched Will shake his head desperately telling him not to follow him, not to save him.

* * *

><p><strong>I do believe this is the worst cliffhanger I've ever written. haha Sorry! Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think about this chapter!<strong>

**P.S. I don't own Mission: Impossible or Pirates of the Caribbean and Mr. Rogers is a character from a children's tv show from a long time ago. I don't own that either.**


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